Exanimus Sperare
by Woodypegasus
Summary: GRAND THEFT ZOMBIE. Liberty City is a putrid city of crime and death. But what happens when a zombie outbreak is thrown intothe city? As chaos hits the streets and the disease spreads, the question must be answered : Who unleashed this plague? And why? Rated M for bad language, adult themes, and violence.


Exanimus Sperare

By: WoodyPegasus

Author's note: I do not own or work for Rockstar Games and I did not write the storyline of Grand Theft Auto 4. Please review, as this is my first story on this site. Thank you for reading and enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Keep your eyes straight ahead," Alum said to himself as he bolted through the twisting back alleys of Broker. "Keep your eyes straight ahead."

The cool fall air chilled his top section more than his legs. Alum guessed this was because his race to get out of his apartment was rivaled by the 25 seconds it took to throw on a T-shirt. If the reports that spread around Liberty City in the past few days were true, he was not unreasonable in leaving so abruptly.

Everywhere he looked – red and white sirens passed him by. People skittered around like cats, leaving loved ones behind to get trampled by the crowds.

Due to some unsavory career choices in the past, Alum had learned the alleyways of the city. Who knew being a low-level associate of the Romano crew would come in handy when the apocalypse came?

Explosions occurred in the distance of the city night. If the end was really approaching, Alum guessed there would be plenty of rioting and looting going on. It was Liberty City, after all. One could not think of a place more devoid of morals and reason.

Alum hesitated keeping on his current course. As useful as the non-crowded alleyways were for getting around, it sure as hell took a long time to do it. The main streets took Alum directly to where he needed to go and time was running out…

"Fuck it." Alum whispered to himself before doing his best to hop a near-by chain link fence. The fence looked smaller from farther away, and the hop caused Alum to flip around when his back skidded against the top painfully. As he picked himself up from the sidewalk, he was reminded again of how a criminal profession was no profession for him.

The street was absolute chaos. Patriots waved the American flag and struck anyone who tried to take it from them. Some people cheered the end like they were excited to see it. A select few groups of pompous jerks and feigned philosophers marched around with banners that read "I TOLD YOU SO." But the majority, Alum included, shoved their way through the crowd in a last-ditch effort to live.

The cut from the chain link fence was far deeper than Alum originally thought, and it stung with intense pain. The agony kept him from seeing straight, he was thrown into a blur. The voices of unintelligible shouting transitioned to mutters. The crowds moved on in droves. Alum did his best to keep up with them, but the sharp pain kept him from meeting their speed.

Alum, close to collapsing on the pavement, heard the whine of a siren near him. Sure enough, a police cruiser stopped near him. Expecting a boy in blue, Alum was ultimately surprised when the stereotype secret agent opened the door. The man was broad and pale. His fleshy lips were nearly the same tone as his skin, and he wore a large pair of sunglasses that took up much of his face. His hair, despite the anarchy around him, was combed neatly and parted to the left. He wore a plain black suit with no buttons, clips, or badges indicating who he was.

"Hey, you!" He yelled at Alum. "I need you to come with me."

Many things passed through Alum's mind. Was the man a hallucination from blood loss or shock? If he was real, why Alum? Were the cops really that dedicated? They would pursue their jobs in the middle of a city wide outbreak that was projected to kill everyone?

The man grabbed Alum by the shoulder and hurried him to the passenger seat of the car.

"We need to get you safety!" He said to Alum's surprise. Usually that was the farthest thing from the minds of the authorities when he was taken in.

After shutting the door, the man hurried back to the driver's side and entered the vehicle.

"Why?" Alum asked, leaning forward to prevent further pain from his back gash.

"You're important." The man said before driving in between the cluttered groups of people. He tried firing up the siren a few times, but the crowds didn't move. A police car about to ram them seemed insignificant in comparison to the coming days.

"Important? What are you talking about? I don't even know who you are…"

"My organization and I have it on good authority that this outbreak was...released by your organization."

Alum shook his head within a second of hearing the man speak. "No, no, no. Old man Romano? He can't even shave without screwing up! He sure as hell didn't manufacture any plague."

"I didn't say he did. He stole it and released it here."

"Bullshit. Who did he steal it from?"

The man hesitated to answer as he weaved through the crowds of pedestrians that littered the streets.

"The United States Government." He finally let it go in a near whisper, as if someone could hear him from outside the car.

"Pull over. I-I have to get out of here." Alum leaned forward as he spoke, a feeling of intense nausea came over him and he began grasping at the small door handle.

"No. I said we need you."

"But I don't fucking know anything!"

"We don't know that!" The man retorted in a vicious way.

"Who is we?" Alum grilled the man for more information.

For a moment, the man didn't respond. Alum didn't know whether the man was reluctant to answer or he was preoccupied as he attempted to bully the police cruiser through the thick crowds of scared civilians.

But his question was soon thrown aside when the crowds went from slow yet progressive movements through the crowded streets to aggressive run-for-your-life attitudes. Alum could hear the scraping of the people on the doors of the police car, being shoved into them in a mad dash backwards.

Suddenly, a group of zombies appeared from around the corner ahead. Followed by another. Followed by another.

They began to tackle the people who were unfortunate enough to be stuck at the back of the crowd.

"Christ…" Alum heard the man mutter under his breath.

A few that were stuck at the back of the ground gave up on running and began slugging the infected in the midsection. But it was feeble. They were separated from safety by a wall of unmoving people and the punches suspended the zombies from pouncing, but it didn't weaken them.

The man next to Alum took a deep breath and readied his hands on the steering wheel.

"What are you-" Alum managed to inquire before the police cruiser sped forward in an incredible leap. Some people rolled painfully over the hard metal of the hood. Some managed to avoid it. Some that were being trampled had their body parts crushed under the weight of the car.

"I'm Jay, by the way." The man said before letting loose in a full speed lunge. The car thrust its way in and out of the crowds of zombies and people alike, before taking off down a side street that led to the Alconquin bridge. The bridge was significantly less crowded and Jay was able to weave through the cars, crowds, and other obstacles at a high consistent speed.

Shaking off the rush that could only be obtained by excessive apocalypse-induced road rage, Alum's back wound seemed a small ailment in comparison to the men and women who went from human being to dinner. But an important issue soon burrowed its way into Alum's mind.

"Where are you taking me?"

Jay was silent.

Sweat beads formed on Alum's forward. His throat became dry and he felt his head increase in temperature. Was Jay dangerous? Was he out for Alum's life? Why? Did Romano tip his "organization" off to buy time for the family to escape? Would he end up taking the blame for the entire zombie plague? The inevitable death of so many?

Alum noticed a 9mm attached to Jay's belt. He could take it. He could kill Jay without a seconds' thought and move his way to escape. Out of the goddamn city before the plague spread everywhere. Alum began to ready himself…

"We're going to Alconquin." Jay stated out of the blue, "The plague clearly hasn't spread this far yet, but it will soon. The specifics of the virus are…advanced. I'm not transporting you just so we can pin you with this or kill you. If there was a chance you helped Romano in this, I would have been ordered to open fire when I saw you. I don't know why you specifically showed up on my organization's radar. I don't know what they want with you. I _do_ know that I was ordered to get you over there pronto, I follow orders." Another few seconds and Alum would have gone for the gun.

Alum was slightly taken back from Jay's statement. His head suddenly felt woozy. To be so tense and on-edge one second, and near relieved the next. It rattled him.

"You would have shot me right then, right there? What about due process? Right to a trial?" Alum questioned, putting a careful hand on his back wound to see how it faired after being slammed against the seat of the car at the high speeds Jay traveled.

"If it's big enough for us to get involved – rules of engagement are no more. We're a small group, but capable. I'm going to make an assumption that, after today, you'll be one of our contacts. Saving your life is considered a favor." Jay paused to let out a sigh that was reflective of the massacre they left behind them in Broker, "By the way, the next time you eye my gun, try not to do it so conspicuously. You made a move, and I would've kneecapped you in a second."

Though intended as a threat, Jay's warning greatly warmed Alum's confidence in their survival.

"Where exactly are we going?" Alum asked nonchalantly – trying to forget the slaughter he witnessed in front of the windshield just moments ago.

"I told you." Jay shortly replied.

"If you aren't going to kill me - why the reproach? If there's a chance that you and I are going to be out fighting in this shit – don't you think some trust should at least be established? Dependence on someone is big, and it can be ruined very simply, Jay." Alum shot back with an annoyed tone and a menacing stare that he had mastered after many late night 'business' deals for the Romanos. The portion of Jay's face that wasn't covered by the large sunglasses quivered under Alum's glare.

Finally, moments later Jay nodded in a way of acknowledging and complimenting Alum.

"Fair enough. I think you'll fit in just fine. We're going to the United Liberty paper building. My boss wants to see you."


End file.
